Miranda class
The Miranda-class starship was a type of starship introduced by Starfleet in the late 23rd century and remained in use through the late 24th century. History Miranda-class starships were in service as early as the mid-2280s. ( ; ) Some Miranda-class starships constructed during the first half of the 24th century fell under the authority of the Yoyodyne Division, around stardate 22519.5. Vessels including were constructed at this time at 40 Eridani A Starfleet Construction Yards. ( dedication plaque) The mission profile of the Miranda-class varied from performing various scientific roles to conducting patrol duties. ( ; ; ; ) By the latter half of the 24th century, one variation of this class was known by the designation of Class 6 Federation supply ship. ( ) The Miranda-class was present in several major Federation engagements against the Borg, including the Battle of Wolf 359 and the Battle of Sector 001. ( ; ) They were also present in numerous Dominion War battles, where they often served as escorts. Many ships of the class saw action during Operation Return, the First and Second Battles of Chin'toka, and the Battle of Cardassia. Many Miranda-class vessels were stationed near Deep Space 9. ( , etc.) Miranda-class starship were also shown as models on several occasions such as in Deep Space 9's classroom. ( ) Technical data Physical arrangement schematics]] The configuration of the Miranda-class shared a similar design lineage and features with the refit implemented in the early 2270s. ( ) The design also closely resembled the starships that were also in service around the same time. ( ) The Miranda-class was composed of a single primary hull, consisting of a saucer that was similar to that of the Constitution-class; however, the bridge module, positioned on top in the center, was shaped differently than the Constitution-class module. Mounted on the underside of the primary hull were two nacelle pylons connected to the warp nacelles. ( , etc.) Design features of the primary hull included a docking port located on the forward section of the ship; the aft section included two shuttlebays, separated by the vessel's impulse engines. These shuttlebays were visually numbered; "1" being on the rear-port side, and "2" on the rear-starboard side. ( ; , etc.) Refits The Miranda-class could be fitted differently depending on the mission. There were four different known configurations utilized with the Miranda during its time in service. The predominant Miranda-class design included a superstructure (or "roll bar") fitted immediately above the primary hull, as a dorsal extension of the ventral nacelle pylons. This superstructure was equipped with torpedo launchers and phaser banks. ( , etc.) By late 2373, this predominant design would undergo an upgrade to its warp nacelles. ( ) Some refits lacked the addition of a superstructure, and in other cases, included two large pods affixed on the port and starboard sides of the primary hull. ( ; ) File:USS Reliant, dorsal.jpg|Configuration with "rollbar" superstructure. File:Miranda class upgrade, dorsal_aft.jpg|Configuration with "rollbar" and upgraded nacelles. File:USS Lantree.jpg|Configuration without "rollbar" superstructure. File:USS Saratoga aft, Emissary.jpg|Configuration without "rollbar" superstructure with port and starboard sensor pods. Tactical systems Standard to all designs were six dual phaser banks located on the primary hull – three mounted to the top and three mounted on the bottom of the saucer. Also standard to all designs were two single phaser emitters mounted just beneath the impulse engines. In those ships possessing the "roll bar," that superstructure contained two tubular phaser emitters on each side that could fire both forward and to the ship's flanks. There were also two forward and two aft photon torpedo launchers housed in a pod mounted in the center of the superstructure. ( , ) File:USS Reliant, firing phasers.jpg|Firing superstructure-mounted phasers File:USS Reliant, forward torpedo.jpg|Firing forward torpedo File:USS Reliant, aft torpedo.jpg|Aft torpedo By the 24th century a number of modifications were made to the Miranda-class weapons systems. Some Miranda-class vessels, such as those of the "twin-pod" variant, included a phaser array mounted on the lower part of the ventral dome and photon torpedo launchers in the main part of the ship rather than in a pod on the "roll-bar". ( ) The class 6 variant of this class featured class 3 defensive armaments. ( ) A majority of 24th century Miranda-class vessels of the "roll-bar" variant, particularly during the Dominion War, were equipped with phaser arrays and photon torpedoes equivalent to those used on other ships of the era, while keeping the same weapon array placements as the 23rd century Miranda. ( , , etc.) File:Uss saratoga 2367 fore.jpg|Firing ventral dome-mounted phaser bank File:USS Majestic, firing phasers.jpg|Firing primary phaser bank File:USS Majestic, forward torpedo.jpg|Forward torpedo Interior design Main bridge The design of Miranda-class bridge during the 23rd century shared a similar layout to contemporary vessels of that era. Located on Deck 1 of the saucer section, the Main Bridge housed the command center of the Miranda-class. The design lineage of the main bridge was a fairly standard floor plan for a Federation starship. Against the forward bulkhead was placed the ship's viewscreen, with side-by-side navigation and helm consoles. The captain's chair was directly aft of the aforementioned stations. Several variations exist in the layout of the surrounding stations. At the rear and center of the USS Reliant s bridge was the turbolift entryway. The primary stations, which were located along the rear of the bridge, included the tactical station on the port side of the bridge. Along the rear starboard side of the bridge were the primary science station and communications station. ( ) The bridge similarly found on board the USS Saratoga (NCC-1887) also had primary stations located along the perimeter of the bridge; however, the Saratoga s bridge included the science station on the port side of the bridge, nearly parallel to the navigation station. ( ) bridge, with different colors and a rearrangement of consoles. Because of this, some of the displays mistakenly had diagrams of a Constitution-class on them. The bridge of the Saratoga was essentially a reuse of the design created for the bridge of the .}} File:USS Reliant bridge.jpg|Main bridge, File:USS Reliant viewscreen.jpg|Viewscreen, USS Reliant File:USS Saratoga bridge, TVH.jpg|Main bridge, By the 24th century, further reconfigurations were made to the layout of the bridge, including the separation of the navigation and helm station, which was replaced by the conn station (on the starboard side) and ops station (on the port side). The bridge of the USS Lantree was relatively simplistic in design, containing little more than a large LCARS interface and star charts on the back of the bridge. ( ) The bridge of the USS Saratoga (NCC-31911) had a much more complex layout, including two additional standing consoles located behind the conn and ops, parallel and slightly behind the captain's chair. The standing console on the port side of the ship contained the tactical station. Also located on the port side, in the foremost section of the bridge, was a turbolift. Along the aft of the bridge were several various access stations. ( ) Relatively similar to the bridge of the Saratoga, the bridge of the USS Brattain had large support braces surrounding the captain's chair to the sides and rear. In place of the two standing consoles of the Saratoga was a single engineering station, placed directly behind the captain's chair and directly in front of an engineering MSD interface. ( ) battle bridge, which was additionally rotated 180 degrees. As a result, the battle bridge viewscreen appeared at the rear of the bridge. The viewscreen was then covered to make it appear as a panel instead.}} File:Uss lantree bridge.jpg|Main bridge, File:USS Saratoga bridge, Emissary.jpg|Main bridge, File:Uss brattain bridge.jpg|Main bridge, File:USS Saratoga viewscreen.jpg|Viewscreen, USS Saratoga Corridors The numerous corridors that connected the various sections of the Miranda-class resembled those of contemporary designs. The corridors on board the USS Reliant resembled those of the refit Constitution-class. ( ) The outer corridors on board the USS Saratoga (NCC-31911) were heavily fortified with a system of support braces. ( ) s corridor was simply the use of the existing sets designed for the USS Enterprise.}} Main engineering , USS Reliant]] Main engineering contained a vertical warp core, with multiple levels surrounding the core. ( ) s main engineering was simply the use of the existing sets designed for the USS Enterprise.}} Transporter room , USS Reliant]] The staging area of the transporter room on board the Miranda-class possessed six transporter pads. Transporter control could be accessed through a console located on the bridge. ( ) s transporter room was simply the use of the existing sets designed for the USS Enterprise.}} Shuttlebay The Miranda-class features two shuttlebays, located port and starboard of the ship's center. On some Miranda-class ships, such as the USS Saratoga, both of the shuttlebays hold escape pods capable of transporting several personnel. ( ) Crew quarters , USS Saratoga (NCC-31911)]] The crew quarters located on the outer rim of the ship contained several large picture windows, littered with numerous large support braces. ( ) Ships commissioned ;Named: * (NCC-21166) * (NCC-1837) * (NCC-31060) * (NCC-31910) * (NCC-1864) * (NCC-1887) * (NCC-31911) * (NCC-31905) * (NCC-32591) * (NCC-21832) * (NCC-1948) ;Unnamed: * [[Unnamed Miranda class starships|Unnamed Miranda-class starships]] Appendices Appearances *''Star Trek'' films: ** ** ** ** * ** ** ** * ** ** (model) ** (model) ** (model) ** (model) ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** * Background information Name The name Miranda-class was not mentioned in dialog on-screen, but was devised by the art department of TNG to refer to this design. The name was used on several pieces of on-screen signage referring to these vessels, and is also used by dedicated references such as the Star Trek Encyclopedia. According to the Encyclopedia, the class was "named for Prospero's daughter, a character in 's last play, '' ." According to an early final draft of the script for "Unnatural Selection" the USS ''Lantree was identified as a "class R Starfleet supply ship" rather than a "class 6 Federation supply ship". http://www.st-minutiae.com/academy/literature329/133.txt Specifications The specifications for the Miranda were not mentioned in dialog, but are referenced from the show's art department. The initial length for the Miranda-class of 765' (233m) was established during the production of Star Trek II, that was later followed up by Andrew Probert during TNG Season 1. The exact length, based on the universally accepted length of the refit , at least behind-the-scenes, at 1000 feet and assuming that both classes employ standardized ship components like nacelles and saucers-sections, is 234.9 m (770.67ft). The scale of the CGI mesh was scaled approximately twenty-five percent smaller than had been previously established. According to a 20 January 1998 post in the newsgroup alt.tv.star-trek.ds9 by David Stipes, a length of approximately 500' to 560' (167m to 187m) was used when he blocked shots in DS9. http://groups.google.com/group/alt.tv.star-trek.ds9/msg/f3804ef9a7be443a?hl=en Studio model :See [[Miranda class model|''Miranda-class model]].'' Technical Manual The following information of specifications and defenses comes exclusively from the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual: * Production Base: ASDB Integration Facility, Starbase 134 Integration Facility, Rigel VI. * Type: Medium Cruiser. * Accommodation: 220 officers and crew; 500 personal evacuation limit. * Power Plant: One 1500 plus Cochrane warp core feeding two nacelles; one impulse system. * Dimensions: Length, 277.76 meters; beam, 173.98 meters; height: 65.23 meters. * Mass: 655,000 metric tonnes. * Performance: Warp 9.2 for 12 hours. * Armament: Six type-7 phaser emitters; two pulse phaser cannons; two photon torpedo launchers. Apocrypha In the comic book Who Killed Captain Kirk? and in the materials published by FASA for use with their Star Trek: The Role Playing Game and Starship Tactical Combat Simulator this ship is referred to as the Reliant-class. FASA describes it as a refit of the Anton-class, which had a similar design that featured TOS-styled warp nacelles. Apocryphal appearances * The Interplay PC Game Starfleet Academy features several Miranda-class vessels including USS Oberon (NCC-1806), USS Rutherford (NCC-1835), USS Alexandria (NCC-1842), USS Tempest (NCC-1852), USS Atlantis (NCC-1865), and USS Demeter (NCC-1868). * The Interplay PC Game New Worlds features the Miranda-class vessel USS Ranger (NCC-1975). * The Activision PC Game The Fallen features the Miranda-class vessel USS Ulysses (NCC-10767). * The Interplay/Taldren games Starfleet Command I, Starfleet Command II and its expansion, Orion Pirates all based the Federation light cruiser hulls on the Miranda-class. * In Cryptic Studios' MMORPG Star Trek Online, one of the first ships a Federation character receives is a Miranda class. * In the reference work Ships of the Line, on pages 132-133, there was information about a USS Leonov. This starship was attacked near the planet Epsilon Draconis III by the Dominion. Suffering major damage, especially to the port nacelle, the captain ordered the crew to abandon the ship, and the crew fled the ship in escape pods. These pods landed on Epsilon Draconis III, a Dominion-controlled planet. External link * pt-br:Classe Miranda de:Miranda-Klasse es:Clase Miranda ja:ミランダ級 nl:Miranda klasse pt:Classe Miranda Category:Federation starship classes